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Sony Want Jason Segel & Reese Witherspoon To Make A 'Sex Tape' With Nicholas Stoller

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • October 27, 2011 7:17 AM
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  • 3 Comments
With the duo of Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel scoring big with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," looking to have a family hit on their hands with "The Muppets" and likely to find big success next spring with "The Five-Year Engagement," Sony is eager to jump on their bandwagon.
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More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Film Studios, Comedies, Jason Segel, Reese Witherspoon, Sex Tape, Sony

Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels & The Farrelly Brothers Will Be 'Dumb And Dumber' Once Again

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • October 27, 2011 1:52 AM
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  • 2 Comments
During press for "Mr. Popper's Penguins," Jim Carrey hinted that he would be open to sequels of some of his earlier films. It looks like that wasn't just idle speculation. The mega-star, who quietly led "Mr. Popper's Penguins" to over $185 million worldwide, is returning to the well for arguably his most beloved role, Lloyd Christmas, with a sequel to "Dumb and Dumber." The Farrelly Brothers will be returning to direct, and Jeff Daniels is apparently being sought to return as well. Daniels, mind you, is 56, and Carrey is 49. So apparently it will be a tragedy about two sadly aging mentally retarded friends, because it's increasingly apparent that Carrey has lost whatever mojo he had.
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More: Films, Actors, Comedies, Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Dumb & Dumber 2

Who Were The Winners And Losers Of The Summer Of 2011?

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • August 30, 2011 4:08 AM
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  • 24 Comments
As the summer winds die down with a flat and uninspired whimper, the realization sets in: the summer of 2011 was for the birds. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was the last major tent-pole to open, followed by sleeper hits like "The Help" and the not-so-successful R-rated action comedy, "30 Minutes or Less." Many had forecast that the overstuffed summer would prove disastrous, with Jon Favreau predicting that, "There’s not a weekend where there won’t be teeth on the floor," but ironically it's Favreau's film that proved to be one of the biggest box-office disappointments. Financially, films did very well with three billion-dollar blockbusters – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”-- helping the industry set a summer box-office record and nearly rebound from a horrible start to 2011 (Currently, 2011 revenue is running only 4 percent behind 2010, but in March, things were looking grim – 19% lower than the year previous).
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More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Film Studios, Feature, Rob Marshall, Justin Lin, The Hangover 2, Super Hero Films, Comedies, The Help, Horrible Bosses, Transformers: The Dark Of The Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, Bridesmaids, 30 Minutes Or Less, Attack The Block, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake, Chris Evans, Tom Hanks, Michael Fassbender, Owen Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Cameron Diaz, Kristen Wiig, Hayley Atwell, Green Lantern, The Change-Up, Marvel, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Pixar, Paramount, Conan, D.C. Entertainment

Jason Bateman & Melissa McCarthy To Commit 'ID Theft'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • August 16, 2011 2:09 AM
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  • 1 Comment
It has been one helluva summer for R-rated comedies with some big successes ("The Hangover Part II," "Bridesmaids," "Horrible Bosses") and some notable misses ("The Change-Up," "30 Minutes Or Less") and Jason Bateman has been on the receiving end of both. He was part of the ensemble who off their employers in 'Bosses' but opposite Ryan Reynolds, the duo couldn't compel audiences to come out to their bawdy body switching comedy. But Bateman is a savvy, smart guy who has certainly been around the industry for a long time, and now ready to move into producing, he has smartly snagged one of the season's biggest breakout stars to co-star with him in yet another high concept laffer.
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More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Comedies, Jason Bateman, Craig Mazin, ID Theft

Weekend Box Office: 'Apes' Rise With Massive $54 Million, Audiences Rise Against Ryan Reynolds

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • August 7, 2011 4:33 AM
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  • 12 Comments
“The Planet Of The Apes” saga is one of the healthier franchises in movie history. All the sequels occurred within a reasonable time frame, and while they were of varied quality, each one had their own separate reason to exist, and none were truly embarrassing. By comparison, the remake in 2001 was so far removed from the series’ original ethos that most won’t even acknowledge it as part of any continuity. Nevertheless, that atrocity opened to $68 million, which nears $100 million when adjusted for inflation. So while some may have been burned by the series thanks to Tim Burton, ten years might have been the appropriate time to reboot and still retain a base that remains aware of “The Planet of The Apes” as a sketchy form of “cinema history.”
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More: Films, Actors, Film Studios, Weekend Box-Office, Genre Films, Comedies, Ryan Reynolds, James Franco, Chris O'Dowd, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Change-Up, 20th Century Fox, Bellflower

'The Change-Up' Director David Dobkin Says R-Rated Comedies Should Make You Feel "A Little Sick"

  • By Leah Zak
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  • August 5, 2011 7:32 AM
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  • 0 Comments
We're certainly not the first to say it, but the R-rated Comedy New Wave (La Nouvelle Vulgaire?) is raking in the dough. Once something you had to watch on Comedy Central after midnight, the turn of the century has seen the raunchy comedy genre steadily edging its way into guaranteed box office (and DVD sales) gold. And, arguably, "The Change-Up" director David Dobkin was amongst its pioneers. With 2005's "Wedding Crashers," the filmmaker managed to create an R-rated comedy but with enough broad appeal that it provided quality laughs, as well as ticket sales -- a lot of ticket sales (over $280 million worldwide). Since then, similar comedies like "The Hangover" and "Bridesmaids" have been giving your typical summer blockbuster a run for their money, and this weekend Dobkin is stepping up to the plate again with "The Change-Up," a less-than-wholesome take on the body-switch comedy genre starring Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. We recently had the opportunity to hear from the director on his new film, as well as what he had to say about the genre itself and his approach to going Gross Out.
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More: Films, Interview, David Dobkin, Comedies, The Change-Up

In Theaters: 'Apes' Rise Against 'The Change Up' & 'Bellflower'

  • By Katie Walsh
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  • August 5, 2011 7:04 AM
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  • 0 Comments
What up, party peoples?! It's August y'all, the best time of year to seek solace from the heat in the cool climes of an air conditioned movie theater! I feel for those of you forced to choose "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" in order to bring your body temps down. I know, I'm being uncharitable but that's what I do. Pass judgment on works of art and commerce created by hundreds of people. I just don't care for those ape cartoons, okay? And raise your hand if a small part of you thinks this is a performance art piece by James Franco like the Oscars clearly were. If you're still jonesin' for Jason Bateman talking dirty after "Horrible Bosses," you can get a double dose with "The Change Up." Clearly though, the choice of the weekend belongs to "Bellflower," if you live in New York or LA, this festival hit has received a ton of buzz, in no small part due to the appearances made by the awesomely souped up vehicle, Medusa, at festivals, and the various drunken cricket eating contests that went along with it. It's also received rave notices, so do yourself a favor and check this one out this weekend, or soon when it hits a theater near you.
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More: Films, Genre Films, Comedies, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Change-Up, Bellflower

Olivia Wilde & Leslie Mann Talk About Breaking Out From The Scenery In 'The Change-Up'

  • By Leah Zak
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  • August 4, 2011 3:22 AM
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  • 0 Comments
While this summer has seen a barrage of trends -- from superheroes to aliens to raunchy comedies -- perhaps prompting the most discussion around the season's cineplexes is the larger role women are beginning to play in those big, R-rated comedies. Kicking off the summer was the box office smash “Bridesmaids,” a quality raunch-fest but, in a rare twist for Hollywood, led by a cast of comediennes. And this Friday, "The Change-Up" delivers another big adult laffer with female characters that do more than just add to the scenery.
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More: Films, Actresses, Interview, David Dobkin, Comedies, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde, The Change-Up

Point Counter-Point Review: 'The Change-Up' Is Gross-Out Unfunny Or Messy But With Amusing Laughs

  • By Drew Taylor
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  • August 3, 2011 4:48 AM
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  • 3 Comments
“The Change-Up” is nothing if not honest. Before the title card has even popped up on screen, Jason Bateman, playing a stressed out husband, father, and (pivotally) lawyer, gets poop sprayed onto his face and, seconds later, into his mouth. It’s a very gross gag very early on and sets the stage for what might be, in the summer of raunchy comedies, the very raunchiest of them all. The problems arise, later on, though, when the truly outrageous stuff uneasily mingles with more earthbound relationship issues and the film winds up being a tepid mixture of both.
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More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Review, David Dobkin, Comedies, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann, The Change-Up

David Dobkin Says 'The Change-Up' Isn't Exactly 'Face/Off' Or 'Freaky Friday'

  • By Leah Zak
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  • August 2, 2011 2:36 AM
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  • 0 Comments
CGI Babies, The Freedom Of The R-Rating & More We Learned From Jason Bateman & Ryan Reynolds About the Body-Switching ComedyThis weekend sees the release of another candidate for the R-rated comedy of the summer: bro-rific body-switcheroo film “The Change-Up.” Starring Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds, the story centers on two friends living polar opposite lives; Bateman as Dave, a family man and lawyer on the rise, and Reynolds as Mitch, his best friend, who makes a meager living as an actor, but mostly uses his charisma and physique to bang anything with two legs. After a night of drinking the two friends -- ahem -- relieve themselves, in what they will soon learn is a magical fountain, and the next morning wake up to find that they've switched bodies, and consequently, lives.
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More: Films, Actors, Interview, David Dobkin, Comedies, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, The Change-Up

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